Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-03-26
The Indian Reservation.

Supervisor Frank Proctor has return cd from . trip through Gila and Graham counties of a month, and during his Gb- sence he visited the reservation and saw how its affairs ars conducted. He speaks in high terms O. the management oi Captain Pierce, and says that for the hrst time in the history of the r5serva ton the Indians are made to feel that 1he white man Is their master. The bucks arc naturally the lsziest bein gs on ess'h-or rather they are the most ayerse to manuel labOr,-snd they will often suffer Imprisonment in the guard house, m shsckies. rather than perform the task set them. They are required now to till the soil and grow theIr own tcod as largely Rs possible. The white employees are instTucting them in les sons of agriculture, and the new life is aot at all pleasan. 10 many of the older buck, who feel disgraced in doing menia! work. They are governed by a hrm hand, however, and st the same time they receiys far and just treatment, against which they have no reason tO complain, Above Gll things they arc taught that only reasonable commands wlll be gwen and these must be obey ed. There Is no alternative but such a quality Of punishment ss the ofTsnse of The refractory Indian deserves, usually imprisonment m the guard house.
 A great deal of progress has been made by these Indians, under the well directed guidance of Capt. Pierce and hls suboTdInates. He personally il- spects the manner in which his orders have been executed, and while he is feared by the Indians, he is highly re- soected by them, and every promise or pledge made to them by the agent IS ac- cepted in the full faith that IL will be fulfilled to the letter.
 The origin Ut the recent speck of trou- bls on the ereservationwas something like he following: Lieut.. Mott and the head farmer had gone below some dis tgnce from the agency, to look after the dItches, and while examining them a young buck came no to the other side and asked the Lieutenant why he nm prisoned his father Tn the gasrd house. The Lieutenant told him that 1t wls be- cause he would not work. The young buck made some surly or threatening remark and the Lieutenant told hIm to hush up or he might get in the guard house also. The buck then drew pis- tol and fred at them, Iuhicting the wounds that caused Lieui. Motifs death and the disabling of the farmer. The murderer has since been apprehendrd and will probably suffer for his crime.
 A general sentiment prevails among the employees on the reservation. which is not shared by Captain Pierce. how ever, that another outbreak Is ineyIia- ble and that lt is liable tO come at any moment between now and the early sunmar months. IL will be the TOntOs and possibly the White Mountains They are very restless and surely when beyond the espionage of the scouts and others m authority and are only awaiting good prs;ext Co muiiny. They arc not ss good warriors Hs the ChlricahuaF, and they will speedily be conquered If they take the warpsth. aud the sooner they start out the better it will be, as |, will cad them and their troubles so lar hH hAA20AAh A0 AhAAANA AfAs -A ANI N WI tinued warfare like thAt tut just ended, IS impossible vi:h the :ribe3 nOE on the reservation.
 The Indians are all we'll armed. aud have p.euty of ammunition. Nearly every one hes a pistol and many of them have rifles hidden away. The sale Of arms aud ammunition on the reservg- ton IS forbidden. but they manage to secure .heir supplies some where else The posses sion ot these arms g:ves them degree ot coufidencs and arrogance that they would not OtherWi ise assert. Their fear of the scouts is proof of the efficacy of force with these c1wardly peC- pie. and if any danger IS apparent of an outbreak, it would probably be deprIved of all it's potency by relieving the sue pectei tribes of their arms and smmun- ition and by keeping sn extraordinary surveillance over them.